


Chain

by Deadlihood



Series: NCT Goes to College [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Donghyuck and Lucas are disaster freshmen, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 17:23:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14720411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deadlihood/pseuds/Deadlihood
Summary: Lucas just wanted munchies; Donghyuck is determined to make Jungwoo their friend.





	Chain

The night began like many before it: Donghyuck had come home with an eighth from his usual guy and Lucas had immediately thrown his crumpled homework to the side to pack a bowl. Mark was a little slower to follow, at least finishing the calculus problem he’d been working on. The three of them had hotboxed the cramped room they shared, and Mark had promptly fallen asleep on Donghyuck’s bed.

Giggling, warm, and light-headed, Lucas and Donghyuck took off on their bikes to the nearby convenience store for munchies. Taeyong had given them more than one lecture about biking while high, but at least they were wearing their helmets. If Lucas had been less high he might have noticed that Donghyuck’s helmet was on backwards.

After haphazardly locking their bikes together and then to the bike rack, they stumbled into the convenience store. Lucas had lost control of his limbs about three bowls ago; he swung one arm out and mowed down an entire shelf of chips. Under the clatter, he heard an exasperated sigh that he was sure was Taeyong, somehow able to see him. In response, he hid under the slushie machine. Donghyuck was forced to pick out the munchies by himself and then physically dragged Lucas out to pay for it.

It was only when he was trying to count out bills with fingers that all felt like thumbs that he realized there was even really a cashier in the store. Bleary-eyed, he looked up, mouth hanging open as he stared. The cashier was probably about their age, a soft halo of sorts forming around his dark hair, backlit by the lottery tickets display. But what really caught Lucas’s attention was his mouth, soft and pink and shiny. The lollipop in the cashier’s mouth rolled to the other side; the clicking sounded annoyed.

Sound, that was what he’d been missing. He hadn’t even noticed Donghyuck was talking to the cashier, fast-paced chattering about his personal life that the cashier seemed reluctant to engage in. Lucas squinted to read his nametag. Jungwoo.

“…Mark’s passed out but I swear he passes out no matter what. The other night, Lucas was gone and I was sucking—”

“Donghyuck!” Lucas yelped, cutting him off. He didn’t need to know about his roommates’ sex life, and neither did the cashier.

“I was just saying that weed might make him sleepy.” Donghyuck huffed. “He asked!”

“Did you really?” Lucas giggled, going back to counting out the money. “I completely lost track of my hearing there for a second.”

“Weed seems…interesting.” Jungwoo finally took the bills out of his hand, counted out the change, and handed it back. “I’ve never smoked—”

“You’ve never smoked?!” Donghyuck was close to shrieking level. “Dude, you need to be our friend!”

“I don’t know,” Jungwoo tried, but Typhoon Donghyuck was on a roll and there was no saying no to him. Lucas settled himself on the floor with a bag of Cheetos while Donghyuck forced Jungwoo into trading phone numbers with him.

“Hyuck, can we go? I’m getting thirsty now,” Lucas whined from the floor.

“Fine, you big baby. See you later, Jungwoo!”

\--

Lucas had promptly forgotten all about the cashier with the pretty lips, right up until Donghyuck sprang out of his seat at the little café on campus that they liked and snatched him away from the counter.

“Who’s that?” Mark asked, glancing up briefly from the email he was drafting for one of the millions of clubs he was in.

Lucas squinted, trying to place his face as Donghyuck dragged him back towards the table. “Oh! He works at the convenience store that we go to for munchies.”

“Mark, this is Jungwoo!” Donghyuck practically forced the cashier into the seat next to Lucas. “He wanted to try weed.”

“I didn’t say that!” Jungwoo looked around, alarmed. Lucas patted his shoulder gently.

“Don’t worry, no one is gonna care if they heard that.” Lucas took a sip of the syrupy, chocolatey drink Donghyuck had ordered for him. Kun, the barista at the café, had a soft spot for Donghyuck and was willing to make any kind of gross drink he wanted.

“So you’re Mark?” Jungwoo’s soft voice made Mark look up long enough for Donghyuck to snatch his phone out of his hand.

“Five minutes,” Donghyuck said when Mark glared at him.

“Yeah, I’m Mark. I see you’ve met my idiot roommates,” Mark said, turning back to Jungwoo.

“I didn’t catch your name, though,” Jungwoo glanced at Lucas shyly.

“Lucas,” he supplied, his thick lips tugging upward in a smile. “I was kinda fucked the last time we saw each other.”

“You said you couldn’t hear, yeah.”

“Weed effects your senses differently depending on the strain, how much you smoke, what your body chemistry is like…” Lucas shrugged. “It’s always different.”

“So do you want to try it?” Mark asked. “We won’t make you, I mean, we can’t make you, but if you want to try you’re welcome to come hang out with us.”

Jungwoo hesitated for a heartbeat. “I’m not working tonight?”

Donghyuck let out a whoop. “I’ll text my guy right now!”

Lucas had to leave for class not long after that. His chest felt oddly light and floaty at the thought of Jungwoo coming over to smoke with them.

Jungwoo had gotten to the house before he had, but he was waiting outside the house awkwardly.

“Is no one else home?” Lucas asked as he came up. The lights were on in the other room, so the older guys were definitely home, and Mark should have been back.

“Donghyuck and Mark are there, I was just…nervous.” Jungwoo jammed his hands into his jacket.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you just want to hang out, that’s cool, too.” Lucas unlocked the front door and held it open. Jungwoo followed him to the back room he shared with Mark and Donghyuck. Based on the sound of running water, Donghyuck was washing out the bong, while Mark was sitting crosslegged on the floor, their Pikachu grinder in his hands. Lucas kicked his shoes into the pile by the door and dumped his bag on his bed. Jungwoo followed slowly, putting his bag neatly in the corner where it wouldn’t be noticed.

“Oh, do you want something to drink?” Lucas asked belatedly. “You might get dry mouth.”

“I have a water bottle in my bag.” Jungwoo went to get it just as Donghyuck flung the door open and narrowly missed hitting Jungwoo in the head.

“Fucking hell, Hyuck, don’t kill him,” Mark scolded.

“Sorry, didn’t know you were there.” Donghyuck handed over the bong and flung himself into the pile of pillows next to Mark’s bottom bunk. “We all ready to go?”

“As soon as you find me a bowl, we’ll be set.” Mark looked disdainfully at the pile of papers, crumpled chip bags, and ripped folders on top of the desk. “I think we left it over there.” Donghyuck rolled his eyes and fished the blue glass bowl out of the mess. It was reasonably clean, being the one they used less often, and Mark started packing the ground weed in with nimble fingers.

“Should he take a practice breath first?” Lucas asked, looking at the size of their bong and then at Jungwoo.

“Might not be a bad idea,” Donghyuck passed the bong over, putting the dirty bowl in for demonstration. “You put your mouth on top and just suck in. It might help if you exhale first and then go for it.”

Jungwoo nodded, and went to try it. Instead of getting a feel for the force he’d need to pull air through the bong, he blew into it and shot water everywhere. He turned bright red with embarrassment. Donghyuck just giggled and went to get a towel.

“Don’t feel bad, I sprayed bong water everywhere my first time, and it definitely wasn’t as clean as this.” Lucas checked the water level and handed the bong back to Mark, who put the fresh bowl in.

“I’ll start it, and then you can pull right after.” Mark lit the bowl and pulled a lungful of smoke in, holding it as he handed the bong over to Jungwoo. He hesitated, blew out exaggeratedly, and sucked in. Mark plucked the bowl out to let him clear the bong. He coughed a little on the exhale, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.

“Let’s wait a couple passes before you go again, we don’t know how hard that’s gonna hit your head.” Donghyuck warned, taking his hit before passing to Lucas. Jungwoo took a second hit a while later, getting to the warm haze that Lucas was searching for quickly.

Lucas pulled himself up to his top bunk and Jungwoo followed hesitantly, flopping down next to Lucas when he threw some of the clothes off to make room for him. On the floor, Mark and Donghyuck were setting up a game of speed, arguing about doubles and who was going to lose.

Lucas picked up Jungwoo’s hand, marveling at how small Jungwoo’s looked in comparison to his long fingers. “Have you ever just, looked at hands?”

“My fingers tingle,” Jungwoo giggled. “Like a good tingle though.”

“You’re at a good high right now.” Lucas continued to play with Jungwoo’s hand, tracing the shape of his fingernails and the lines of his palm. Both of them were content to lie there quietly and watch over the edge of the bed as Mark and Donghyuck played, movements jerky and uncoordinated from the weed. Donghyuck lost three games in a row and tackled Mark backwards to kiss him and distract him from playing anymore. Lucas turned his back, letting his broad shoulders block the view of the floor.

“They do that sometimes.” Lucas shrugged, picking up Jungwoo’s hand again.

“Are they dating?” Jungwoo blinked slowly, his eyes slightly bloodshot.

“Not really? I mean, Donghyuck pretty much owns him, but they aren’t “official”.” Lucas made air quotes with his free hand. “I try not to get involved.”

“Fair.” Jungwoo stared intently at his face. “Can I touch your mouth?”

Lucas swallowed hard, not expecting that question. “If you want.” Jungwoo tugged his hand free, using it to trace the line of Lucas’s lips.

“They’re as soft as I thought they’d be.” He thumbed at Lucas’s bottom lip, pulling it down and letting it snap back wetly. Lucas felt his heart stutter in his chest.

The bunk bed rattled and Mark poked his head over the top of the bunk. “Hyuck’s got the munchies. You guys hungry?”

The moment dispelled, Lucas burrowed himself tightly into his jacket and tried not to trip over his own feet (he’d accidentally put on two different shoes, both left).

\--

Jungwoo quickly became a fixture in their daily lives, meeting them for dinner at the shitty little places they ate when Taeyong wasn’t cooking, smoking weed on Friday nights, studying with them on Sundays.

And all the while, Lucas’s heart made little flutters, like the beat of a hummingbird’s wing, whenever Jungwoo was there. It was almost unbearable, the closeness they shared now. Jungwoo coaxed him to lie down, his head pillowed by Jungwoo’s thighs, so he could take a break while Jungwoo kept working on some Japanese vocabulary. One hand came down and stroked his hair gently, and Lucas knew he’d officially joined the “no homo but lots of homo” club.

That was his name for their smaller subsect of their friend group. Mark and Donghyuck were disgustingly into each other, but refused to label their relationship at all. Jaemin, who had been absorbed into the group, frequently brought along his “friend” Jeno. Lucas was one hundred percent positive they were actually boyfriends and neither of them would fucking admit it.

And then there was him and Jungwoo. He had such a soft spot in his heart for him and his soft face and easy smile and fluffy hair. Lucas occasionally had the urge to strangle him, he was so cute. He wanted to kiss those lollipop slicked lips, especially when they’d been smoking and they were twisted up like two snakes, cuddled up in his bed.

He just had no idea how to do it without terrifying him and disrupting the delicate, wonderful balance.

\--

_LucasSkywalker: I don’t know what to do_

_LucasSkywalker: I can’t just kiss him_

_LucasSkywalker: can i????_

_TNT: I mean you could_

_TNT: might not be the best course of action_

_Yongie: why don’t you bring him to the dance showcase?_

_LucasSkywalker: so he can meet MomYong and DadTen?_

_TNT: plz don’t call me dad_

_LucasSkywalker: does Taeyong call you daddy_

_LucasSkywalker: I promise I wont judge_

_Yongie: NO I DO NOT CALL HIM DADDY_

_Yongie: and it’ll be a slightly more intimate situation than just smoking at your place_

_Yongie: maybe he’ll give you more signs_

_TNT: or just be Mark and Donghyuck and literally get caught fucking in the bathroom at odd times_

_LucasSkywalker: ill pass_

_LucasSkywalker: DADTEN BYE_

\--

There were two rows at the dance showcase just for people supporting Ten, and it was as loud and raucous as could be expected from so many boys in one small area. Taeyong was still backstage with his boyfriend helping him get into the costume, but everyone else was crowded together. Jaehyun had Yuta curled in his lap, talking to Johnny and Seulgi, the girl that Sooyoung had introduced him to. Mark and Donghyuck snuck a soft kiss when they thought no one was looking; Jeno was talking to Jaemin’s younger brother, Jisung, who had come up for the showcase.

And Jungwoo and Lucas were sitting together, watching the melee of people in the auditorium. “So why do you, Johnny, and Mark have English names?” Jungwoo asked suddenly, drawing Lucas’s attention back to him.

“Mark and Johnny both grew up overseas so they just use their English names,” Lucas explained.

“And what about you?”

“I have two names, technically, depending on what dialect you’re using. The one I used the most was Yukhei, but I also answer to Xuxi. I just picked Lucas because I liked the sound and it was easier than explaining that I had two names.”

“I like Xuxi, it sounds cute.”

“I am cute.” Lucas grinned, and Jungwoo gave him a gummy smile in return.

Throughout the showcase, Jungwoo’s arm kept creeping over the armrest until his hand was pressed right against Lucas’s. Tentatively, Lucas threaded their fingers together, and got a reassuring squeeze in return. The fluttering in his heart was back, bringing him to that same warm haze that weed could.

After the performances and they’d all thrown roses at Ten (literally pelted him with them), the group made its way back to the older boys’ house for a celebration. Jungwoo and Lucas held hands the whole way back.

In the darkened corner of Taeyong’s living room, they shared their first tentative kiss. Jungwoo tasted like one of the lollipops he was always sucking on; the sweetness of it made Lucas crave more. They didn’t touch the alcohol or emerge from their shadowy spot, preferring to spend the evening wrapped up in each other.

Across the room, Ten gently nudged Taeyong and gestured at the two shapes in the corner. Taeyong smiled wide. “Ah, young love.”

 


End file.
